From January 1, 2004, the 5% sales tax in Russia was abolished and VAT was reduced from 20% to 18%. This means that all retail chains in the country will have to reduce prices by 7%. At the same time, prices for strong alcohol will increase. The government notes that setting prices falls within the competence of trade organizations. Therefore, no regulations can force them to reduce prices. However, the Cabinet of Ministers believes that competition will force traders to change their price tags.

On January 1, details of the terrorist attack that occurred the day before in the Iraqi capital became known. At least 8 people were killed and 30 were injured. The terrorist attack took place on one of the central streets of eastern Baghdad. A suicide bomber detonated a car filled with explosives near the expensive Nabil restaurant, where wealthy Iraqis and foreigners had gathered to celebrate the New Year. The building was completely destroyed.

Since January 1, 2004, Russian citizens who do not have a new passport have put themselves in the position of a person without documents. The police begin to fine holders of old Soviet passports. As Ekho Moskvy reports, 125 million people already have Russian passports. Until January 1, 2006, only foreigners and stateless persons were allowed to use a Soviet document on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The Americans have succeeded in finding the reasons for the growth of the resistance movement in Iraq. On January 1, the command of the occupation forces announced that evidence had been found linking al-Qaeda leaders with the Iraqi resistance. Recently, in the city of Samarra, located 110 km north of Baghdad, the Americans conducted a special operation.

On the night of January 1, no noticeable incidents occurred in the Russian capital. Mikhail Aleksashin, an employee of the press service of the Moscow police, reported this to Echo of Moscow . According to the radio station, about 300 thousand law enforcement officers were on duty throughout the country on New Year's Eve. In Moscow, the New Year's Eve celebration passed without major incidents.

© 1992-2004 JSC "Kommersant Publishing House", all rights reserved. All rights to materials posted on the website kommersant.ru are protected in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, including copyright and related rights. Write a letter.

adventurer The record holder for greed. The Austrian journalist Gerhard Platnner set a world record of economy for the Guinness Book of Records. He drove 4683 kilometers for 20 European countries on the Volkswagen Lupo 3L TDI serial car at an average speed of 80 km/h and, most importantly, with an average fuel consumption of only 2.78 liters per 100 kilometers! Initially, the task was formulated as follows: to get from Oslo to The Hague, spending no more than 100 euros on diesel fuel.

On May 14, 1872, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck said in a speech to the Reichstag: “Anyone who says ‘Europe’ is wrong. It's just a place name." And the King of France, Louis XIV, who had many favorites, once said in a private conversation that he would “rather unite Europe than be able to reconcile two women.” Neither the “Sun King” nor the “Iron Chancellor” obviously believed in the possibility of peace and harmony in the region.

On January 1, one of the leaders of the SPS party, Irina Khakamada, submitted documents to the Central Election Commission to participate in the presidential elections. Let us remind you that Ms. Khakamada is running as a self-nominated candidate. “We are now at the Central Election Commission. Documents are being reconciled here. Irina is in a good mood,” the politician’s press secretary Vitaly Evsegneev told RIA Novosti .

On January 1, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak denied information from a number of Arab media that he plans to transfer power to his 40-year-old son Gamal. The 75-year-old leader, who has ruled since October 1981, does not want to change the government structure. The President of Egypt , speaking on local television, recalled that the country is a republic. Therefore, the idea of ​​transferring power by inheritance by senior management is not even discussed.

On January 1, the Parliamentary Assembly of Pakistan voted by a majority to elect Pervez Musharraf as the country's president. General Musharraf came to power in a military coup in 1999. In 2002, the country held a presidential referendum. Mr. Musharraf was the only candidate for the post of head of state and won. The joint decision of both houses of the country's national assembly and the legislative assemblies of 4 provinces confirms the legitimacy of his stay in power until 2007, notes AP .

On the evening of January 1, the Russian Central Election Commission completed accepting documents from those wishing to participate in the presidential elections in the country by self-nomination. In March 2004, there will be no more than 6 self-nominated candidates on the ballot. Groups of voters have already been registered supporting the current head of state Vladimir Putin , businessman Vladimir Bryntsalov and ex-speaker of the State Duma and ex-head of the Security Council Ivan Rybkin.

On January 1, the world's most prestigious rally, the Dakar, began in the French city of Clermont-Ferrand. Russia is represented in the competition by three trucks from the KamAZ team, a four-time winner of the raid. In total, more than 400 different vehicles took to the start line: motorcycles, cars and trucks. They will have to travel about 11 thousand km through France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The finish of the race is expected on January 18.

������ � ����� ������� ������, ����������� ���������� � ���������� ����������, � ��������� ������� �������� �������� �������� � ������. �������� -- �� ��� SUBARU LEGACY � SUBARU OUTBACK. ��� ������ ��������� ���������, ��� ���������� ������� ��������� �� �������� ����� -- ����������, ����� �� ��� ���� �� ������� �������� ��������.

������ ���� ������ ����� OST. 2003. ������� ���-�� �����, ��� � ������ ������� ���� ��������� ��� ��������� ������ � ����. ���� ���������� ���� � ������� ������ � �������� "�����". ��� ���, ������� �������� �������� ������� ������� �������� � �������� ������������� ���������������. ���� �� �������������. ������ ������ � ������������ "������ �� �����" � �� �� ����� �������� ������ �� ������ ������������ ����� -- �� ��������� � groove.